By Renee Mok
In last Saturday’s edition of RSN’s Talking Greyhounds, presenter Simone Fisher caught up with Virginia Rea, who races a greyhound in memory of her daughter, Pippa, who worked with greyhounds and, sadly, died of brain cancer at a young age.
In an effort to raise awareness, the greyhound, named Chips And Trains, runs in memory of Pippa.
There were no real expectations for Chips And Trains but Virginia has been amazed by the greyhound, who has amassed a terrific record of 12 wins and eight places from 29 starts. He has won almost $120,000 in prizemoney and was nominated for the WA Greyhound of the Year.
“This is just something that evolved naturally, and I think that’s a beautiful part of it because I think it’s become quite spiritual as well. The things that have happened when he’s run, there must be some sort of connection there,” Virginia said.
The interview proved a good omen because on Saturday evening Chips And Trains raced and won in Warrnambool, Pippa’s hometown, surrounded by her friends and family. A portion of all his winnings goes towards Pippa’s Trust, which is a part of a tissue bank at Murdoch’s Children’s Research Institute, which supports brain cancer research globally.
Simone also caught up with form expert Ron Arnold, who successfully tipped listeners into Buck’s Future ($8) in Saturday night’s Group 1 Paws Of Thunder Final at Wentworth Park.
